Part A | 6.3
108 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
Uses and Compounds. Source of agar [6.596]. Extracts have antibacterial [6.269, 358, 597, 598], and antifungal [6.284, 286] activity.
Gracilaria vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss
Common Name. Komulkosiraegi.
Description. G. vermiculophylla is a red macroalga
that is cartilaginous, cylindrical, and up to 50 cm long.
It is coarsely branched, often profusely so. It can be
found as loose-lying thalli or attached to small stones or
shells. Red algae are often found in the vegetative state,
and the characterization of reproductive structures is
often necessary for correct identification of Gracilaria
species [6.599–601].
Habitat. Estuarine habitats, marine habitats, mainly
in salinity lagoons. It is well adapted to low energy,
shallow-bottom bays, lagoons, estuaries, harbors, and
inslets [6.602].
Distribution. Native range – NW Pacific ocean including Japan and E Asia [6.601]; Introduced range –
N American E and W coasts, Europe, NE Atlantic
coast extending from Morocco to SW Sweden, E Pacific [6.603, 604].
Uses and Compounds. G. vermiculophylla is widely
collected for the production of Agar, which is
used extensively in the pharmaceutical and food industries [6.592, 605–607]. Extracts have antibacterial [6.449], and antioxidant [6.335, 608] activity.
Gracilariopsis longissima (S.G. Gmelin)
M. Steentoft, L.M. Irvine & W.F. Farnham
Description. Thalli are from almost simple to profuse
and irregularly branched, with the slender cylindrical axis throughout the plant. Cystocarps are scattered
throughout the thallus, protruding from the thallus surface. Spermatia are formed in near the surface of the
thallus. Tetrasporangia are cruciate and are scattered in
the cortex [6.609].
Habitat. Usually lives in the sublittoral environment,
on loamy or sandy funds shells or gravel.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Britain to Portugal); SE
Atlantic (Namibia, South Africa).
Uses and Compounds. Source of agar [6.592, 605].
Extracts have antibacterial [6.569, 610, 611] activity.
Order: Halimeniales
Grateloupia filicina (J.V. Lamouroux)
C. Agardh
Description. Compressed, tufted, dark purplish brown
fronds, to 120 mm high, main axis 14 mm broad. Once
or twice pinnate, axes and branchlets tapered at base
and apex. This is a soft limp and slippery smooth seaweed with somewhat flattened branches that can be
red green brown or almost black. Size and shape vary
greatly from 0:55 mm wide to 230 cm long, with either few or many branches [6.612].
Habitat. On rocks in pools; mid-littoral to shallow
sublittoral, sporadic, often locally common.
Distribution. Worldwide in warm and temperatewarm seas.
Uses and Compounds. Used as food and source
of Carrageenan [6.613–615]. Extracts have antioxidant [6.350, 595, 615–617], antimicrobial [6.34], antiviral [6.615, 618, 619], anticoagulation [6.615, 620, 621]
activity.
Grateloupia turuturu Yamada
Description. Thallus flat, membranous, with short
stipe, the single fronds linear to broad-lanceolate, undivided or irregularly dividing from the base, narrowing
toward the base as well as the tip (Fig. 6.34); sometimes proliferating on the margins and the surface;
consistency gelatinous-slippery but firm; discoid holdfast; violet- to crimson-red, often greenish at the top
thallus [6.32].
Habitat. Epilithic in shallow tide pools and on sandcovered rocks near coast.
Distribution. SE Pacific (Chile), SW Atlantic (Peru),
G. turuturu is considered native to Japan, China, and
Korea, but has spread to the NE Atlantic, the Mediterranean, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Uses and Compounds. In Japan, this seaweed is commonly used as a sea vegetable [6.622]. G. turuturu is
characterized by its richness in dietary fiber (nearly
60% DW) and therefore appears to be a good source of
food fiber for human consumption. This is very interesting because the beneficial effect of fiber on health is
already well known [6.623, 624]. This seaweed is also
rich in proteins, like Palmaria palmata, another red alga
108 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
Uses and Compounds. Source of agar [6.596]. Extracts have antibacterial [6.269, 358, 597, 598], and antifungal [6.284, 286] activity.
Gracilaria vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss
Common Name. Komulkosiraegi.
Description. G. vermiculophylla is a red macroalga
that is cartilaginous, cylindrical, and up to 50 cm long.
It is coarsely branched, often profusely so. It can be
found as loose-lying thalli or attached to small stones or
shells. Red algae are often found in the vegetative state,
and the characterization of reproductive structures is
often necessary for correct identification of Gracilaria
species [6.599–601].
Habitat. Estuarine habitats, marine habitats, mainly
in salinity lagoons. It is well adapted to low energy,
shallow-bottom bays, lagoons, estuaries, harbors, and
inslets [6.602].
Distribution. Native range – NW Pacific ocean including Japan and E Asia [6.601]; Introduced range –
N American E and W coasts, Europe, NE Atlantic
coast extending from Morocco to SW Sweden, E Pacific [6.603, 604].
Uses and Compounds. G. vermiculophylla is widely
collected for the production of Agar, which is
used extensively in the pharmaceutical and food industries [6.592, 605–607]. Extracts have antibacterial [6.449], and antioxidant [6.335, 608] activity.
Gracilariopsis longissima (S.G. Gmelin)
M. Steentoft, L.M. Irvine & W.F. Farnham
Description. Thalli are from almost simple to profuse
and irregularly branched, with the slender cylindrical axis throughout the plant. Cystocarps are scattered
throughout the thallus, protruding from the thallus surface. Spermatia are formed in near the surface of the
thallus. Tetrasporangia are cruciate and are scattered in
the cortex [6.609].
Habitat. Usually lives in the sublittoral environment,
on loamy or sandy funds shells or gravel.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Britain to Portugal); SE
Atlantic (Namibia, South Africa).
Uses and Compounds. Source of agar [6.592, 605].
Extracts have antibacterial [6.569, 610, 611] activity.
Order: Halimeniales
Grateloupia filicina (J.V. Lamouroux)
C. Agardh
Description. Compressed, tufted, dark purplish brown
fronds, to 120 mm high, main axis 14 mm broad. Once
or twice pinnate, axes and branchlets tapered at base
and apex. This is a soft limp and slippery smooth seaweed with somewhat flattened branches that can be
red green brown or almost black. Size and shape vary
greatly from 0:55 mm wide to 230 cm long, with either few or many branches [6.612].
Habitat. On rocks in pools; mid-littoral to shallow
sublittoral, sporadic, often locally common.
Distribution. Worldwide in warm and temperatewarm seas.
Uses and Compounds. Used as food and source
of Carrageenan [6.613–615]. Extracts have antioxidant [6.350, 595, 615–617], antimicrobial [6.34], antiviral [6.615, 618, 619], anticoagulation [6.615, 620, 621]
activity.
Grateloupia turuturu Yamada
Description. Thallus flat, membranous, with short
stipe, the single fronds linear to broad-lanceolate, undivided or irregularly dividing from the base, narrowing
toward the base as well as the tip (Fig. 6.34); sometimes proliferating on the margins and the surface;
consistency gelatinous-slippery but firm; discoid holdfast; violet- to crimson-red, often greenish at the top
thallus [6.32].
Habitat. Epilithic in shallow tide pools and on sandcovered rocks near coast.
Distribution. SE Pacific (Chile), SW Atlantic (Peru),
G. turuturu is considered native to Japan, China, and
Korea, but has spread to the NE Atlantic, the Mediterranean, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Uses and Compounds. In Japan, this seaweed is commonly used as a sea vegetable [6.622]. G. turuturu is
characterized by its richness in dietary fiber (nearly
60% DW) and therefore appears to be a good source of
food fiber for human consumption. This is very interesting because the beneficial effect of fiber on health is
already well known [6.623, 624]. This seaweed is also
rich in proteins, like Palmaria palmata, another red alga